Youth Population & Employment in the Middle East & North Africa

POPULATION REFERENCE BUREAU | www.prb.org

Youth Population & Employment in the Middle East & North Africa

PRESENTATION BY FARZANEH ROUDI OF THE POPULATION RERERENCE BUREAU

July 2011

Un


Median Age in MENA Countries, 2010

17

18

18

21

21

24

25

26

26

26

26

27

28

28

29

29

29

30

30

32

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Yemen

Palestine

Iraq

Jordan

Syria

Egypt

Oman

Libya

Saudi Arabia

Algeria

Morocco

Iran

Kuwait

Turkey

Tunisia

Lebanon

WORLD

Bahrain

UAE

Qatar


Youth Population Growth in MENA

44.6

88.192.7

1980 2010 2040

Ages 15 to 24, in million


MENA’s Population Age Distribution

0%10%20%

30%40%50%60%70%

80%90%

100%

1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050

65+

25-64

15-24

<15


Youth as % of Working-Age Population, 2010

17

19

20

22

26

26

27

27

27

27

30

30

31

31

31

35

37

37

39

42

0 10 20 30 40 50

Qatar

Bahrain

UAE

Kuwait

Turkey

Lebanon

Saudi Arabia

Libya

Tunisia

WORLD

Morocco

Algeria

Iran

Egypt

Oman

Syria

Iraq

Jordan

Palestinian Territory

Yemen


MENA’s Youth Bulge:

A Demographic Opportunity or Challenge?


Unemployment Is a Youth Phenomenon

In Jordan in 2007, three-quarters of the unemployed were below age 30.

In Egypt in 2006, well over 80 percent of the unemployed were below age 30, and 82 percent of the unemployed had never worked before.


School-to-Work Transition in Tunisia

30% of university graduates find employment in 6 to 12 months from their graduation.

39% and 24% are still unemployed 18 months and 3 years after their graduation, respectively.


2009 National Youth Survey in Egypt

70% of the unemployed said that they were jobless because there was simply no work available.

More than 40% thought personal connections were more important than personal skills in securing a job.


Education Has Improved

Between 1980 and 2000, on average, MENA countries spent 5 percent of their GDP on education—higher than any other developing region.

School enrollments have increased remarkably at all levels of education—for girls in particular.


Countries Grouped by % of Their 15-to-24-Year-Old-Females Who Are Literate

65% to 84 % 85% to 94% 95+%

Egypt

Iraq

Morocco

Yemen

Turkey

Syria

Algeria

Bahrain

Libya

Jordan

Kuwait

Lebanon

Palestinian Ter.

Qatar

Oman

UAE

Iran

Saudi Arabia

Tunisia

The data are for years from 2005 to 2008.


Countries Grouped by Ratio of Number of Females to 100 Males Enrolled in Secondary School

<90 90 to 99 100+

Turkey (89)

Morocco (86)

Saudi Arabia (85)

Iraq (67)

Yemen (49)

Iran

Syria

Oman

Egypt

Qatar

Libya

Lebanon

Algeria

Tunisia

Palestinian Ter.

Bahrain

Jordan

Kuwait

UAE

The data are for years from 2005 to 2008


Countries Grouped by Ratio of Number of Females to 100 Males Enrolled in Tertiary School

75> 75 to 90 100+

Iraq (59)

Yemen (42)

Egypt

Morocco

Turkey

Algeria

Bahrain

Iran

Jordan

Kuwait

Lebanon

Libya

Palestinian Ter.

Oman

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

Tunisia

UAE

The data are for years from 2005 to 2008. No country falls between 90 and 99. No data available for Syria.


Youth Unemployment Is The Highest in MENA

Percent of labor force ages 15 to 24 in 2009


Youth Labor Force Participation Is The Lowest in MENA

Percent of youth ages 15 to 24 in 2009


Youth Unemployment Rates by Sex

43

1720

23 23

1

24

13

31

25

8

46 48

34

46

19

7

4649

2925

22

Male Female

Percent of labor force ages 15 to 24

Data refer to 2009, except for Algeria and Tunisia, which are for 2004.


Unemployment Rates by Sex and Education

Country

Percent of labor force ages 15 - 64 Male

Female

Primary Secondary Tertiary Primary Secondary Tertiary Algeria 2004 65 21 7 33 30 33 Bahrain 2009 28 37 22 22 39 33 Iran 2004 52 30 13 18 45 36 Kuwait 2004 30 32 7 7 51 19 Morocco 2004 57 22 16 37 25 32 Saudi Arabia 2009 39 52 8 4 32 65 Tunisia 2004 45 37 6 37 34 14 Turkey 2009 60 24 9 33 39 24 UAE 2004 30 32 14 10 45 40


Percent Change in the Number of Youth, 2010-2040

107

87

80

30

22

14

10

10

7

4

3

-24-27

-20

-16

-13

-13

-10

-41

-50 0 50 100 150

Iraq

Yemen

Palestinian Territory

Kuwait

Saudi Arabia

Syria

Egypt

Jordan

Bahrain

Libya

Qatar

Turkey

UAE

Morocco

Algeria

Tunisia

Oman

Lebanon

Iran

Youth Population & Employment in the Middle East & North Africa

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